My only associations with dermatologists are prescription ointments and sensitive, flakey skin. It wasn't until a few Korean beauty and lifestyle YouTubers shared their dermatology visits did my scope of what dermatologists were capable of increase. They showed something more akin to a high-tech spa treatment filled with extractions, masks, and interestingly lights that weren't exactly lasers to treat troubled skin and other preventative care.
When the Neutrogena Light Therapy range came out it I was intrigued yet skeptical. How could colored lights, that aren't even UV, help with acne? I know medical professionals supposedly use these on their patients yet it still seemed like an impossible solution. I remember my friend sharing the ads for the Light Therapy Acne Mask and I immediately scoffed at it being ridiculous—both the idea of light therapy seeming gimmicky and the plastic mask looking like something straight out of a horror film.
But that's the beauty of marketing; when people are skeptical of something new, coupons can be a great initiator. A $10 off discount circulated the popular couponing websites around the same time my interest in the technology changed. If there wasn't the less expensive and compact Acne Spot Treatment nor the $10 coupon, I would have easily glossed over ever giving new consumer technology a try.
Neutrogena's description:
Pop-up pimple? Light is on it. With dermatologist in-office technology, the spot treatment harnesses the power of light therapy to target and treat breakouts fast. This clinically proven two-minute acne spot treatment uses red and blue lights to reduce breakouts without flaking or burning. The easy-to-use portable design is ideal to treat acne anytime-anywhere! Battery can be replaced for continued use.
Red lights - Reduces acne inflammation
Blue lights - Targets acne-causing bacteria
100% UV Free
Chemical Free Treatment
FDA Cleared
Directions
Turn on device by pressing the button for a FULL second until it powers on.
Apply directly on skin so light is fully surrounding pimple.
Treat for two minutes. Device will automatically turn off after two minutes.
Neutrogena: USD $19.99*
*Prices vary depending on where you live and the retailer you purchase from. In NYC, the prices at the drugstores are closer to USD $25.
Packaging
The Acne Spot Treatment doesn't look fancy. It is made of lightweight plastic and what I am assuming aluminum. There are 3 lights, 2 of which are blue-colored and 1 is a reddish pink. It functions via a single button and is simply AA battery operated. Of course, it would be more eco-friendly to have the wand be rechargeable but I think the price would definitely not be as affordable otherwise.
If I have to nitpick about anything, it would probably just be that Neutrogena assumes everyone will have a screwdriver handy at home because the battery chamber is locked shut to the handle of the wand via a small screw.
The biggest confusion with the Neutrogena Light therapy is in regards to the inclusion of an expiration date. It seems that the "Use by" date is for ~2 years after the light wand is made. (I got the one in the pictures in 2017 and it was set to expire 2019. Another wand I bought in late-2018 is set to expire in mid-2020.) I am unsure how lights could "expire" and neither does Neutrogena say in its included pamphlet. Nevertheless, the first Acne Spot Treatment I purchased did not even last until 2019 when the lights died a few months shy of the February 2019 date.
How I Use
Neutrogena recommends that the wand is pressed right up against the skin to completely surround a pimple. I do use the light in that way but also do just hover the light close to my face without any contact, especially when I have makeup or freshly applied skincare on. This way the surface of the wand doesn't get as dirty and I don't leave a rectangularly shaped mark on my face because the action of pressing something against the face for 2 minutes could create a slight suction/cupping effect.
Obviously, the latter method results in a less concentrated blast of light. However, after having done both methods I think a little distance between the light wand and skin doesn't have too big of an impact on the results. I would recommend keeping a mirror handy because I find that any slight movements in my hand or face and the light is nowhere near a pimple at the end of the 2 minutes.
They say to only target pimples 3 times per day, totaling 6 minutes per spot daily. Sometimes I abide by those rules and other times I am either too busy (more so lazy) to wait around for 6 mins or overzealous and "zap" the zits a couple times more than suggested. I never kept a schedule for this gadget. I have used it for continuous 2-minute sessions and I have also broken it up by daytime/nighttime.
Thoughts & Recommendations
For those with acne that isn't a random, isolated pimple here and there, I am sad to say this Neutrogena Light Therapy Acne Spot Treatment is not the answer. You will have to take the name "Spot Treatment" quite literally in order to not get mad at how it performs.
For those with acne that is cystic or deep, this little light wand is also not the best choice. The change isn't as dramatic and honestly not worth the time dedication. A dermatologist in a HuffPost article said that it may slow down the development but this consumer-oriented light gadget ultimately isn't designed to zap away the deep stuff. If possible I would wait for the pus to push through before treating.
So what is it good for then? What I found after a year or so of use on varying pimple types is, this particular light therapy seems to work best on the small, pus-filled pimples. Even then it takes the 3 (three!) 2-min sessions per zit, at the very least, to see results. Imagine if it was a cluster of pimples or a very persistent and big, pus-filled pimple it would take way too many 2-min sessions per day to treat all said pimples. In short, owning and using this gadget requires time and patience.
When the light does work, I think it does wonders. The small pustules I have targeted often dry up a day or so quicker than normal and just flakes right off like a scab. I find myself relying less on acne patches for the small fry spots. It is a nice reusable complement to those who find themselves going through too many acne patches. Save the hydrocolloids for the deeper-rooted stuff.
Each AA battery lasts for about ~100 2-minute sessions. After about 70 2-min light-ups the battery juice starts to slow down and there is a wait time of a few minutes before it can be initiated again. That waiting period slowly increases from a couple minutes to many (15+ min) as the power depletes more. When the gaps elongate past an hour, it is safe to say that AA battery is done for.
Neutrogena's Light Therapy Acne Mask is an option for those who often get more than a couple pimples at any given time. But keep in mind the mask itself is almost double the price of the Acne Spot Treatment AND it requires the purchase of a separate "Activator" to work, each having only 30 light-ups. The mask might not fit all face shapes nor the specific troubled area (say around the hairline or way under the chin and jaw). It also requires a longer session, 10 minutes for the entire face versus 2 minutes per spot.
Both versions have initial and reoccurring financial costs. The Spot Treatment will still be much cheaper than the Mask because AA batteries are sold in packs much cheaper than the single Activator. I think it all boils down to how bad the acne problem is because time is valuable. For those skeptical, I would recommend waiting for the usual 40% off coupon from CVS and buying the Light Therapy Acne Spot Treatment version before upgrading if necessary.
Happy Lunar New Year everyone!! ^__^
As always, I cannot believe it is already February.
I finished my first week of the new school semester yesterday and felt so exhausted because I am still on my winter break sleeping schedule (which is completely out of whack). Getting lost on the inter-webs makes being productive extremely hard. (Procrastinator problems!)
I typically finish products very...very slowly. It takes me a good few months or a year sometimes to even accumulate handful of empties. (It doesn't help that I tend to start a whole bunch of new things while using other stuff.)
I had kept a bag of empties all year last year, like the hoarder that I am. Somehow I completely forgot about it until mid January. By then it was probably too late to put up a 2013 empties post. Right?
So here is to a new start! Even though I am still 2 days late, it isn't the end of the world yet.
My very small empties collection:
I haven't been using my masks much lately. But one day during the break I suddenly felt the urge to really cleanse (with my Clarisonic Mia), exfoliate, and enjoy a mask. Does that happen to anyone else?
Although there are so many masks out there that target different things, I find that they all are too short-term for me to see results for the said claims. Instead, I love to use them more for instant moisturization and relaxation.
My Scheming masks seem to fit my face well and the sheet mask comes pretty well soaked in the serums, it even is dripping in serum when you take it out of the packaging.
As for the PINK Sweet & Flirty Body Mist...I have had that since my senior year of high school! I only spray it onto my clothes before wearing them since body sprays scents don't last particularly long anyways. This way it isn't too overpowering. Plus, I can more generously spray this all over since body mists like these tend to be pretty affordable. I am not sure if PINK sells this particular scent anymore because it has been a while since I bought it.
I am not sure why, but ever since I started college my facial and body acne has gotten really bad. They were both under control for the last couple years in high school and I couldn't have been more excited to be finally through with the bad acne stage. But lo and behold, it came back!
There aren't that many products available in the drugstores that treat body acne specifically. The Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash - Pink Grapefruit, I think, is one of the few. Unfortunately, either my body acne is really bad or this body wash just doesn't work too well. Until I find a better option, I may still repurchase more of this (if on sale) just to use them as a precautionary item. Better than nothing right? Do you have any suggestions?
How many products were you able to finish last month?
Product Description:
With an uplifting blast of grapefruit plus vitamin C, this unique formula clears blemishes and blackheads. Eliminates oil and dirt without over-drying.
Places to buy:
✻ Drugstores (CVS, Walgreens, RiteAid, etc.)
Packaging:
Comes in a 6 fl oz. bottle with a pump. It works well for the type of cleanser this is. However, when I first started to use the product a lot of the cleanser would squeeze through the pump base edges. It doesn't look very appealing but after some product clogs that area the spillage stops.
Directions:
✻ (From bottle) Cleanse twice a day. Wet face. Apply to hands, add water and work into a lather. Massage face gently. Rinse thoroughly.
✻ (What I did) Sometimes I cleansed the way Neutrogena suggested. Other times I pumped some product onto my foaming net and created a foamy lather to wash my face with. Either way is fine but I just like that I get more foam to work with when using a foaming net. It also isn't as runny when I do it the latter way. I found that liquid consistency cleansers tend to make a runnier lather which always ends up sliding down my arm and creating a mess on the countertop and floors.
Lathered with hands
Lathered with foaming net
Positives:
✻ Affordable (and Neutrogena is on sale often at the drugstores!)
✻ Available locally
✻ Can last a long time if you don't use a full pump for each usage
✻ Did not break me out
✻ Helped control my breakouts quite well but it isn't a miracle product! I still got occasional pimples here and there
✻ Did not make my face feel dry and tight after using it
✻ Isn't a very harsh cleanser but my skin still felt clean
✻ Skin felt very soft after using this cleanser
✻ Doesn't have parabens
Negatives:
✻ Has sulfates, color, and fragrance
✻ Doesn't help much with blackheads
Repurchase?
Yes! I had many good skin days while using this cleanser. After finish this cleanser and I moved onto something else, I noticed I had so many more breakouts and they just wouldn't go away. I cannot say that this cleanser was definitely the direct reason why I had clearer skin but I like to think it played a big part. As strange as this may sound, I missed this product! Mostly because I know it did well for my skin. Too bad I was sucked into the cleanser deals while hauling from Cosmetic-Love or else I would have definitely bought another bottle to help fix my skin.
Recommend?
Yes!
Rating:
4.5...a very close 5 though! I'm going to reserve that for HG status products. This one isn't quite there yet but I did enjoy using it very much and after finishing it I actually missed how my skin was while using the product.
Disclaimer: These are just the results I had while using the product. Remember, everyone else's skin is different!! What may have worked for me, may not work for you & what may not have worked for me, may work for you. Try the product at your own risk! I bought this product with my own money and am in no way connected to the companies mentioned. This is my honest opinion!
After blogging for a few years now and posting some reviews here and there, I realized that I haven't shared my skincare routine yet. Keep in mind, I do not usually use the same products again because I have a curious nature and like to try as many products as I can get my hands on. However, if I were to find something that is HG...I will probably hold myself back and repurchase the HG item (but that is a hurdle I'll overcome when I reach it!).
Ever since my beauty nerve was struck, I cannot stop my itch to find my own HG's. So far I've come across many that I like/love or has a possibility of becoming an HG (still thinking!), but no dice...
I have to say, my biggest motivation for "perfect skin" are Korean celebrities. My gosh does their skin look great! I know a lot of it is photoshop and makeup...but when you can see their untampered skin, most will blow you away and look in shame at your own skin. I know I'm always very jealous! I don't have the same money and resources as they do to devote to the same brands nor do I have the same motivation to not be lazy about my skincare routine, but I'm trying in my own ways =]
When I use the products individually, I didn't even realize how many steps I actually had. This current routine is probably the most items I have ever used at one time.
I've been using this routine for about close to a month and it is working pretty well! Other than an occasional pimple, my skin looks rather clear. I still have occasional & random pimples that popped up (it doesn't seem to always correspond with that time of the month though). My cheeks also suffer from redness and overall I still have a problem with clogged and open pores. Far from perfect but much better than it had once been.
My skin type/issues are all over the place. Once the weather starts warming up, I become more and more oily. Sometimes when I'm oily, I'll also get flakey patches. However, as the weather gets colder, my skin is either combination (oily in the T-zone, mostly the nose area) or normal...sometimes leaning on the drier side.
This makes it a difficult because I feel like I want to purchase different products to target different things when the season changes...but most of the time I would still have products remaining and do not want to just let it sit there and be neglected. Unlike with makeup, I tend to stick to the same skincare products until I finish using them.
I've had acne since I hit puberty...in the 4th or 5th grade? Which seemed normal at the time since many of my friends then also went through it around the same time. I had very bad acne, pretty much everywhere. The worst was my forehead. Over the years, as I started to take care of my skin more they seemed have gravitated to the lower parts of my face (was cheeks, now mainly chin and the area between nose and lips).
After experimenting with many products, I can't say really that a specific one really did the trick. But just routinely cleansing and taking care of it helped keep the pimples at bay.
The current cleansers that are in rotation.
After finishing the Hada Labo Cleansers that I recently reviewed, these were up next. Particularly the Etude House cleanser first. Since both target acne troubles, I do not have to really designate any 1 in particular for morning/evening use.
Etude House AC Clinic Acne Foam Cleanser
This is only a travel size of the cleanser that I received when I bought the AC Clinic Pink Powder Spot (which I assume is similar to the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion many people raved about). The cleanser has a really strong tea tree smell that I eventually got used to. It lathers really well and a little goes a long way. In terms of controlling my acne, I think it is alright. I still experience breakouts and the acne that does surface doesn't go away any faster than it normally would (without using a topical treatment). However, I do like that it doesn't dry my face out after using it. My face feels clean without feeling like it's being stripped of moisture. I probably wouldn't repurchase because of all the trouble I have to go through with ordering it online. If I were to ever take a trip to Korea (where it is the cheapest) or find it in a store for a reasonable price...I might buy the full size.
Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Facial Cleanser
I bought this at the very end of December and used it on and off throughout January. Surprisingly, this cleanser also did not strip my skin out after using it! Usually salicylic acid would dry my skin out immediately but this felt surprisingly gentle for a 2% salicylic acid product. It also seems to help with my acne a little bit but is not a miracle "end-all-be-all" acne-fighting cleanser. For the price and easy accessibility, I am thinking about repurchasing it...
Morning Routine
1. Naruko Narcissus Total Defense Moisturizing Dew
As a moisturizing toner, it works well. I would say after using this for a little while in the winter and now with slight allergies, I'd say this would be better for use in the Spring. Possibly even throughout the summer for someone who doesn't have much of an oily skin problem. The dew left my skin soft and feeling supple but just wasn't enough on dry patches. It does help remove any excess dirt that wasn't cleaned off during cleansing which is always a plus.
2. Naruko Narcissus Total Defense Moisturizing Day Protector
Similar to the dew I feel this would be better for the Spring. With that being said, this was an interesting product. It has a cooling effect after I swipe it onto my face. There is also titanium dioxide in there, hence the protector (but it doesn't say any SPF so I'm guessing there isn't too much of it in there). I was a little weary on using a second toner, but this could be a lotion (if used enough).
I haven't really used enough of both these Naruko items to have a full opinion but so far my first impressions of both are pretty good!
3. Origins GinZing
I don't look much for from eye creams other than moisturizing. I originally came across this product because of its brightening properties. It does have a pearly/shimmery effect but I don't really see it help my dark circles much after I put it under my eyes. Also, I didn't see much depuffing like it says it would help with...The only good thing is the little jar lasted a very long time. But now I just can't wait for it to be done with.
4. Genie in a Bottle Hyaluronic Acid Moisture Serum
This is the 3rd bottle of the product that I'm using. I really love it! It keeps my skin nice and plump & gives it the bouncy effect. Very similar to the Hada Labo products but sans the sticky feeling that a lot of people weren't too fond of (I didn't mind it). Genie in a Bottle costs much less. I may upgrade this to HG soon...but I have to consider it a little more :X HG has to be superb and I haven't really tried enough serums to say this is the best of the best.
5. BeautyMate Hydro Power Collagen Cream
The cream sinks into my skin very well and quickly. It moisturizes and keeps my skin supple. Throughout the day my skin doesn't feel or look dry. Sasa says it also brightens but I didn't really see much of that. Overall, it worked well for most of what it is meant to do for a very low price (from Sasa).
6. Josie Maran Protect Daily Sun Protection Argan Oil Infused SPF40+
Liquidy in texture. Very different than the sunscreens that I've tried before. But I like this just as much. Since it's runny, I find it easy to apply and spread so I don't have to tug at my face too much. The argan oil gives a dewy finish so if I don't feel like wearing makeup I can just walk out with just skincare and sunscreen. However, it might be too much for oily skin in the summer. I find that when I just put powder on top to set the sunscreen, the powder doesn't hold very well...definitely need to wear a primer to give a barrier/hold for the powder.
Mid-Day (usually around 5-6PM)...Makeup Removing
1. H20+ Dual Action Eye Makeup Remover OR Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup remover
I don't wear eye makeup that often. When I do, it is light enough that it'll come off using a face makeup remover/cleansing oil. I really only got specific eye-makeup removers for prom when I was playing around with mascara.
Between the two, I like the H20+'s over Neutrogena's. Both remover eye-makeup well. However, for some reason after using the Neutrogena remover, it would sort of dry out the eye area and leave this strange whiteness around my eye area. This wouldn't be a problem if I did my whole skincare routine right after I removed my makeup...but I usually take my makeup off right after I get home and do my night routine after I brush my teeth (10PM-1AM). It seems weird but it makes sense to me?
2. Biore Makeup Remover Gel
I've always used cleansing oils to remove makeup because my makeup frenzy started with BB Creams and many people recommended cleansing oils. I loved how well they took off makeup but hated how they would start drying out my face after I used it. Sure I felt clean but I had to always apply moisturizing afterward or spray my face to give some moisture back. This hasn't steered me away from using cleansing oils any longer but I just wanted to experiment with other options.
I am sort of on the fence about whether I like this product or not. It isn't as drying as a cleansing oil, but sometimes my face doesn't feel clean enough. Maybe I'm just too used to the squeaky clean feeling I get from cleansing oils? Although this product was very inexpensive, I'm not going to repurchase it because I used this up pretty fast (only 1.5-2 pumps each time). Only been a month or so and I'm very close to finishing it...
3. BeautyMate Hydro Power Collagen Cream
Night Routine
1. BeautyMate Anti-Blemish Repairing Nano Toner
I really do not care for a toner in a pump bottle. It was so hard to control and I need to pump so much out to even have enough to use. Aside from that, I cannot say I like or hate this toner. Nothing about its performance stands out to me. It works well, can remove the excess dirt that I couldn't pick up when cleaning with my hands...but it didn't do well against blemish. I guess I was expecting a little too much from the toner?
2. Naruko Marjoram and Lavender Brightening Eye Cream
I like how light this eye cream was and it was moisturizing. But I didn't see any brightening. The product itself doesn't have the pearly look so it doesn't brighten/highlight physically. Overall...it may look to this again because it doesn't have parabens/preservatives/added color etc. and can be used morning and night versus GinZing which I'd feel comfortable only using it in the morning because of the pearly effect.
3. Genie in a Bottle Hyaluronic Acid Moisture Serum
4. Skinfood Omija Whitening Serum
I haven't used this enough to see its whitening effects but I like how light this serum. I'm currently only using this on my neck because my face is much lighter in color than my neck is. Will report back soon!
5. BeautyMate Hydro Power Collagen Cream
6. Naruko Narcissus Total Defense Night Eye Gelly
Of the Naruko products I've opened and used...this left the biggest mark in my books. LOVE LOVE LOVE how well it moisturizes without being too heavy. After using this, I found that concealer applied to my under eye very smoothly. I will definitely be repurchasing this one and trying out the other eye and face gellies. The only thing I didn't really see was the firming and brightening aspects that the site says the product will also help with. But then again I don't need much firming yet...
7. La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo
At first, I wasn't too sure I liked this product but I've got to say of the acne treatments I've tried so far this was the most effective. Salicylic acid just doesn't seem to work with my pimples...I also like how this one doesn't dry and leave a strange film on my face like salicylic acid treatments do. I noticed that helped with the bumps on my chin and the clogged pores on my nose. This is also a very close HG product, on the consideration list!
Skinfood Facial Water Vita-C (Mist) & Genie in a Bottle Hyaluronic Acid Moisture Spray
I don't see much difference when using mists because it evaporates pretty quickly. But over makeup, it gives a similar effect to Fix+, not as dewy but still softens the base makeup so it looks a bit more natural. Nonetheless, I'd still purchase a mist to use after applying makeup over skincare properties. Packaging-wise I like the Skinfood one over Genie in a Bottle. The former gives a much finer mist. However, be careful not to suck in any of the mist...it tastes really bad =.=
This step is the one that I usually get lazy with, ironically exfoliating is an important step.
I haven't found one that I liked yet so it makes it even harder to [remember to] use it.
My aunt bought these two for me when The Face Shop in Koreatown opened a couple of years ago(?)...See how bad I am at exfoliating? haha
The Face Shop Peeling Day - Honey Black Sugar
I thought that this would work similar to the Skinfood version that so many people RAVED about. I'm not sure how that one is but I did not like this one at all...The sugar particles are humongous and pretty sharp. It hurt to really rub them around my face, I could only gently move them around...which I don't think really exfoliates anything. The honey factor makes this product really thick, gooey, and sticky to use. I also didn't see a big difference in blackhead reduction like it says it would help with, but then again I do not think I used it correctly because I tried to be as gently as I could.
The Face Shop Peeling Day - White Jewel
I was looking forward to wearing this because I thought it would be similar to the highly talked about Cure Aqua Gel. I don't really know how that one is but this version isn't too good. When I rub this around, there are clumps that show up...but it seems like it's more of the product itself is clumping together rather than my dead skin. I still like this exfoliating concept. Just this version wasn't the one, in my opinion.
How many products are in your skincare routines? Does anyone inspire you to achieve perfect skin?
If anyone is interested, enter my giveaway! Press HERE
